What is brown butter?

Brown butter is a staple in French cooking and for good reason. It’s made by melting butter and cooking until it is browned and the milk solids are toasted. It has a rich, nutty flavor that is an amazing addition to both sweet and savory recipes.

What are the brown specks in browned butter?

The brown specks are the toasted milk solids. They are very important and loaded with flavor, so make sure to scrape them from the pan. If your specks become black, they are burnt and will make it taste bitter - I recommend starting a new batch.

Can I substitute brown butter for regular butter in any recipe?

You can substitute brown butter for melted butter in most recipes. But be aware that there is a loss of moisture in the browning process, so you’ll want to measure the brown butter after making it. For example - you will likely need to brown 9 tablespoons of butter to get 8 tablespoons of browned butter. If the recipe calls for cold butter or even room temperature, softened butter then substituting brown butter will not be an even 1:1 swap and recipe testing will be needed.

What are the brown specks in Rice Krispie treats?

When you make Rice Krispie treats with browned butter, you're going to have those little specks of toasted milk solids.

What can I use instead of Rice Krispies for Rice Krispie Treats?

Instead of Rice Krispie brand cereal, you can swap in any crispy rice cereal or another cereal like Chex cereal, Golden Grahams, even cheerios. Or you can also use popped popcorn!

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats | Kathleen's Cravings

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

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5 from 1 review

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats take the classic childhood treat and upgrade it! Using browned butter provides a richer, slightly nutty flavor that is amazing and will be loved by both adults and kids alike.

Author: Kathleen
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 12 large bars
Category: Dessert
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, unsalted or salted plus extra for greasing pan
20-24 ounces marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8-9 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

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Instructions

Prepare Pan - Line a 9x13inch baking pan with foil and grease with extra butter.
Brown Butter - Chop up the 3/4 cup of butter into. Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and melt the butter, whisking occasionally. After 5-8 minutes, the butter will start foam and then brown. You’ll start to see brown specks on the bottom and it will have a nutty aroma. When finished the butter will be an amber, golden brown and the specks will be brown. Be careful not to burn! The specks can go from brown to black very quickly which means the butter is burnt. Better to stop a few seconds too early than too late.
Melt Marshmallows - Lower the heat to low and add the marshmallows. Stir to combine and melt the marshmallows into the butter. The color will be a light brown with flecks from the brown butter. Stir in the salt and vanilla and turn off the heat.
Add Cereal - Stir in the cereal, folding to combine well. You can adjust the amount of cereal added to make the bars more or less gooey.
Press into Pan - Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Press down lightly. I like to use the butter wrapper to do this.
Cool and Cut - Allow the bars to cool for at least an hour before cutting and serving.

Notes

Cut Rice Krispie bars will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Over time they will start to dry out, so enjoying the day of or day after making them is best.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 large bar
Calories: 327
Sugar: 29.2 g
Sodium: 192.9 mg
Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 54.9 g
Protein: 2.3 g
Cholesterol: 30.5 mg

Find it online: https://kathleenscravings.com/brown-butter-rice-krispie-treats/